World Quality Forum of the International Academy for Quality (IAQ),
Budapest, October 26 to 27, 2015

Information about the Hungarian National Committee of European Organization for Quality (HNC for EOQ)

The Hungarian National Committee of the European Organization for Quality (HNC for EOQ) has been a member of the European Organization for Quality (EOQ) beginning from its establishment in 1972.

The main objectives of HNC for EOQ are the followings:

• In cooperation with other non-profit Hungarian quality organisations the HNC represents the Hungarian quality community in EOQ and in other international quality organizations.
• Dissemination of quality knowledge from EOQ and other international quality organizations obtained to the Hungarian quality experts as well as contribution to the development of quality of products and services.
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• HNC for EOQ implements yearly about 20 conferences, seminars and special training courses with registration fee for the members and other interested experts in the highlighted quality issues.
• Time and place of such events are included in the annual program published both in periodical „Quality & Dependability” and in the Annual Report as well as put on the homepage of HNC for EOQ.
• Outstanding events of HNC for EOQ together with other national quality organizations are connected with the World Quality Day in the European Quality Week (Month ).

• Most grandiose project of HNC for EOQ has been so far the 44^th European Quality Congress held in Budapest Congress Centre from 12^th to 16^th June 2000. Together with the Pre-Congress Symposiums more than 1100 participants coming from 54 countries listened to altogether 172 presentations at this highly successful Congress.
• The 19th IAMA Annual World Forum and Symposium held on 20-23 June 2009 was also a great success. 420 participants attended the Forum form 52 countries. Papers & Case Studies are available on our website.
• From the outset HNC for EOQ had taken an active part in elaborating the European Quality Award model for small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Participation of HNC for EOQ in several PHARE, EU and Hungarian Quality Projects are also important activities. One of the most important projects was the quality training of civil servants in accordance with the EU quality policy as well as the support of the application of CAF Model in the National Public Administration.
• The 55^th EOQ Congress will be held in Budapest Congress Centre from 21^st to 23^rd June 2011 with the following slogan: “Navigating Global Quality in a New Area”. At the same time, this Congress will also be a World Quality Congress after Harrogate, United Kingdom (2002); Tokyo, Japan (2005); and Houston, USA (2008). The Congress will concur with Hungary’s EU Presidency in the first half of 2011.

In addition to the projects listed above, the HNC for EOQ is taking part in the implementation of the National Development Program as well as in the implementation of the Quality Award in the Hungarian Public Sector and of the Hungarian Agricultural Quality Award.

• The periodical “Quality & Dependability” has been published in almost 3000 copies 6 times per year, beginning from 1997 as HNC for EOQ magazine. Co-publishers and appr support the edition of the periodical. 100 corporate members of HNC for EOQ. Since 2009 it is also available in electronic form.
• The „Annual Report of HNC” has been published since 1993 regularly in every year. In addition to the description of the main activities and events due in the current year also the valid Statutes of HNC as well as the list of the individual and corporate members and the register of the EOQ experts certified by the HNC are included in the Annual Reports.
• HNC issues about 10?20 proceedings every year, mainly related to various quality events held in Hungary.
• Beginning from 1998 HNC has running an own homepage on the Internet: http://www.eoq.hu
• Prepared by the Working Group of the Glossary Committee HNC published in early 1999 a document „International Quality Glossary” which was sent to the members free of charge. The second extended edition of this very successful document was printed in 3000 copies in the first half of 2003. The electronic version is prepared to edit at the beginning of 2011.

• In the last decade the HNC established the following independent non-profit organizations or took part in their establishment, which are now operating in close cooperation with the HNC:
• Hungarian Quality Society (MMT) - from 1990;
• “ISO 9000 Forum of the Hungarian Certified Companies” (ISO 9000 Forum) - from 1994;
• „Hungarian Fruit Juice Producers’ Voluntary Quality Control Organization” (HFQ) ? from 1994.
• Beginning from 1995 HNC is a Full Member Organization of the Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations (MTESZ) in Hungary.
• Beginning from 1995 HNC is member of the National Accreditation Body (NAT) and beginning from 1996 of the Conformity Certification Forum (MTF).
• The HNC signed further agreements on cooperation among other with the Hungarian Industry Development Foundation, the National Environment Organization.

• Beginning from 1972 HNC is a Full Member Organization of the European Organization for Quality (EOQ) representing Hungary there.
• Beginning from 1996 it is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Quality Assurance (United Kingdom).
• Beginning from 1997 HNC is a full member of the International Society for Quality in Health Care.
• Beginning from 2002 HNC is an Associate Member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

• In 1994 the HNC concluded a “Cooperation Agreement” with the Flemish Quality Organization and since 1994 it has close cooperation with the Romanian Organization for Quality.
• In 1997 the HNC concluded a “Cooperation Agreement” with the Australian Organization for Quality (AOQ).
• In 2000 the HNC concluded a “Cooperation Agreement” with the Korean Standardization Association (KSA).
• In addition to the above listed quality organizations HNC maintains close working relations with all EOQ Full Member Organizations (FMOs).
• HNC is in close cooperation among other with other national quality organizations of European and non-European countries:
• China Association for Quality (CAQ-China),
• Instituto Argentino Para La Calidad (IACC-Argentina),
• Quality Organization of Iran (QOI-Iran),
• Israel Society for Quality (ISQ-Israel),
• Shanghai Quality Control Association of China (SQCA-China),
• Singapore Productivity and Standards Board (Singapore),
• Union of Japanese Scientists & Engineers (JUSE-Japan).

Having in mind the crucial role of quality, competitiveness and crisis management the EOQ Hungarian National Committee and the ISO 9000 Forum on 9- 10 September 2010 in Balatonvilagos (Hungary) jointly organized the 17^th National Conference with the slogan “Learning from each other”. Nearly 300 Quality Experts and guests participated in the conference.

During the Plenary session well-known Hungarian specialists gave analysis of steps taken by the Hungarian companies and organizations to harmonize the methods of crisis management with the requirements of CSR, the local company culture and the team cohesion. The overwhelming majority of lecturer came to the conclusion that enhancing the competitiveness and assuring a positive vision for the society inevitably needs the improvement of the effectiveness of education and training facilities, the deliberate application of the self-education and the ethical behaviour.

In the special sections the importance and advantages of “Learning from each other” principle was the basic issue. The representatives of a number of successful companies reported about the methods used by them in achieving the level of excellence. There were presentations about the payoff of using the self-evaluation method, the use of different crisis management techniques, about the application of Lean management, the Kaizen and other TQM methods. Considerable attention has been given to the importance of the human resource aspects.

The traditional (this time the19^th) HUNGARIAN QUALITY WEEK has been organized on 2- 4 November 2010 in Budapest. The whole conference was hosted jointly by the EOQ Hungarian National Committee and the Hungarian Society for Quality. A series of section discussions have been held on the timely quality issues and also annual Quality Awards have been presented.

During the Plenary session high ranked representatives (state secretaries) of the key Government offices made presentations on how the Hungarian economy can cope with the world economic crisis bearing in mind the crisis management methods and the requirements of quality. The presentations highlighted that improving the competitiveness in the whole sphere of the Hungarian economy is inevitable, moreover, in some fields structural changes have to be implemented. The importance of consumer protection also has been emphasized.

In the special sections the following topics were discussed:

Risk management. From the basic principles of this subject the audience was also given information about some companies’ experience in using risk management techniques.

Lean management. The lecturers analysed and described the results and usefulness of the application of Lean method in different companies.

Forum of managers. The questions of energy efficiency and sustainable development have been discussed.

Successful organizations, successful models. Observations of the EFQM Excellence Model, the new ISO 9004 and the CSR Excellence Program have been talked over.

Timely issues. Benchmarking, quality of human resource and quality of services have been analysed.

Day of education. The timely problems of vocational training, the basic education and the high education were the subjects of discussion.

On Occasion of the World Quality Day among several other companies and organizations one of the largest Hungarian company “Magyar Posta” (Hungarian Post) celebrated the Quality Day on November 25, 2010. More than 200 staff members and invited guests participated at the event and almost 1000 employees of the Hungarian Pos could follow the program by videoconference in 5 centres in Hungary. The new DG of the Hungarian Post underlined the importance of quality for the services by the company and handed over the Quality Prizes 2010 to the winners in the category “Post Offices” and “Internal Service Organizations”. The Vice President of the HNC for EOQ presented one of the technical papers under the title “Management Aspects of Sustainable Development and Quality”. The Head of the Quality Management and Environmental Protection of the Hungarian Post introduced the quality development program of the company until 2015 including the training and certification of further counterparts of the Hungarian Post according to the EOQ Harmonized Schemes.